As wireless networks evolve and grow, there are ongoing challenges associated with reaching targeted coverage levels. Recently, in an effort to boost coverage and enhance throughput in wireless networks, network operators have proposed deployment of wireless devices capable of transmitting at a maximum allowable transmit power that is higher than a current maximum allowable transmit power of defaults wireless devices and/or other currently deployed low power wireless devices. When portion(s) of the wireless network experience high load (e.g., loading above a threshold), which may stem from large amounts of data traffic and/or poor channel conditions, access node(s) may collect power headroom and other data from the wireless devices; access nodes use the collected data to schedule (or assign) uplink (UL) and/or downlink (DL) wireless resources (i.e., wireless resource grant) for connected wireless devices. However, these wireless devices capable of transmitting at a higher maximum power may not require the additional resources that would be assigned using a conventional scheduler. For example, depending on quality of service requirements for the wireless device, it may be suitable to assigned resources to the high power wireless device as though it were a default wireless device. Accordingly, a channel-aware system that schedules UL wireless resources, while balancing network load, such that high power wireless devices are selectively assigned wireless resources based on quality of service requirements is desirable.